Saturday, December 29, 2007

Christmas Knitting 2007 Further Revealed!

Back again, with the second of this year's two Christmas presents. Can you believe it? Months without a stitch of actual knitting in this so-called knitting blog and then BLAM! KAPOW! you get two finished objects in two days.

It's sort of like when you go through a long dry spell in the romance department, and no matter where you hang out–dance clubs, yarn stores, online chat rooms, church socials, estate sales, Home Depot–nobody notices you; and then you meet one nice person you like, and suddenly you can't even walk to the fridge without twenty guys trying to pinch your bottom.

Yeah, it's sort of like that.

What was I talking about?

Christmas presents. Yes. This is what I made for my Exceptional Niece Abigail®for her first extra-uterine Christmas: the Sheep in the Meadow Baby Jacket.

Needle: US size 5 or 7 or something plus a couple of dpns in a size or two smaller

Process: I was lying down one night in June reading The Elements of Typographic Style when a ghostly figure (it was either the Angel Gabriel or Jacob Marley–I forget which) appeared at the foot of the bed and said, "Go thou, pick up thy needles and make a sweater with a little sheep on it."

No, wait. I just remembered. It was Ziggy Marley.

Anyhow, I picked up the notebook I keep next to the bed for jotting down cartoon ideas and the names of people I'd like to have shot, and I wrote "sheep sweater little" and went back to reading about the origins of the serif and forgot the whole thing.

Wait, no. I think was wrong again. It wasn't Ziggy Marley, it was just Ziggy.

What was I talking about?

Right.So four months later I was in Sacramento for the 1000 Knitters shoot with the Camellia City Stockinettes. At Babetta's Yarn and Gifts the whole scene came back in a flash. In about fifteen minuntes I selected and purchased all the yarn.

When I got home, I put the yarn into the stash cupboard and forgot about it again for another month or so.

Then I dimly recall some hurried winding, and swatching, and sketching. I had in mind a very blocky, geometric shape along the lines of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Bog Jacket. I wanted an open front with simple I-cord ties because those features had earned the Tulip Jacket rave reviews and almost daily use until Abigail finally outgrew it.

With the intended recipient 900 miles away and sprouting like a weed, I had to make educated guesses about proportions and sizing. I used the helpful project measurements in Knitting for Baby to determine arm length and such for a kid aged nine to twelve months.

Then some frantic knitting at home, in the taxi to the airport, at the airport, on the plane, and in Maine in the office in the barn. I finished it on Christmas Eve.

It's a good thing I can't get pregnant or the baby would be seven years old before I got around to delivering it.

Fun Stuff: Such complexity as exists in this otherwise simple piece is centered on the breast pocket, and even that's pretty simple.

The jacket was an excuse/opportunity to try out an Elizabeth Zimmermann afterthought pocket for the first time.

Afterthought pockets are just what the name suggests. You knit the garment, and afterwards you decide that you want a pocket here, or pockets here and here (or even here–it's up to you). You snip with your scissors at the center of the row where you want the pocket to be, and that's how it begins.

For full details, you can check out the Knitting Glossary DVD from Schoolhouse Press or from Elizabeth's book Knitting Around. I used both. And let me tell you: if you want to feel like a rock star knitter, stick an afterthought pocket into something. It gives you the same sort of high that comes from lace blocking, steek cutting or turning a sock heel.

On the whole, I'm pleased. There are some small details I'd change next time (such as deeper sleeves). But you know what? It fit. And if you ask me, it ain't 'alf cute.

98 comments:

Okay...you and Stephanie both post about EZ's afterthought techniques (you, a pocket; Steph, a heel, though she does laud the pocket as she's warming up to the heel story) within 24 hours of one another. That's eerie.

The wee sheepie jacket is LOVELY. I wish my own niece weren't growing so darn fast; makes is really unlikely that I'll manage more than one or two such adorable projects for her.

OMG! The sheep in the pocket is soooo cute...I want one..a sheep, a pocket, a baby to knit for...You are a wicked enable :) In a fit of illogical knitting lust, I've requested a copy of "Knitting for Baby" from my local library...Must. Make. Something. Tiny. Incredibly Cute. Still swooning, not anonymous, Bev in Tn

Wow, what an adorable sweater! If the pattern ever becomes available, I have two small niecelets under the age of three that would wear it well (and I'd actually knit it for them). Your niece is one lucky ducky.

Though the thought of it was hysterical I knew it couldn't be Ziggy Marley talking to you - 'go thou' just doesn't seem to be a phrase he'd use. On the other hand I don't actually know the man so who's to say?

That is one cute little sweater! Are you going to let on how you knit the Afterthought Sheep at any point?

Awwww...I can just see little Abigail trying mightily to pull off the sheep... [g] She must look so cute in that, looking forward to the pix which I do presume you got. Right? (We're such a demanding bunch.)

If not David's idea of a cocktail shaker, my guess re Dolores' present is one of those hats that delivers beer through a straw. I can hear The D protesting that it's much easier for a baby to to get liquids into their mouth via straw, considering their coordination skills--and pointing out that you don't have to put beer in it. A Cosmo is always an option.

The sweater - lovely..but the addition of the sheep in the appropriate spot - raises the entire garment to another level entirely. Bravo(I hope you are writing all of these patterns down someplace so that AFTER this book, you have another one already written). As for Dolores' "inappropriate" gift, I picture her providing not "baby's first cocktail shaker" but "baby's first set of pasties"...and the answer to your kitchen problem is to keep the chain on the door, eh? Does not do to have strangers wandering about...

It's adorable.But then you knew that, didn't you.I'll be it's even MORE adorable "installed". So, do we get to see the adorable baby girl wearing her adorable Sheep in the Meadow sweater? huh? do we?(and I second Gretchen -- I want to knit that sheep too!)

You and your subconscious have a very close and fluid relationship, don't you? You let it out to play a lot more than other people do.

How nice to hear that your butt is getting properly saluted. Why haven't we seen you on an AWWednesday?

What did Dolores give the wee girl? I'm trying to think, and the mind boggles. I don't think she would give away booze, or at least, not without an ulterior motive. Maybe a little black book with a few good men already written in.

Thanks to your first four paragraphs I have now recruited another reader to your lovely blog. He and his partner are asking me to teach them how to knit. Thank you for helping me enable two more in our bid for covering the world in one big globe cozy. I hope it's as wonderful as your sweater for your ENA(r).

Oh that is just so cute. That little darling will be so proud wearing it.

I also wanted to tell you, you are such a bad influence. After reading your lace gift to your Mom, I ran to my bookshelves, got down on my knees and started looking through the line of IK mags. I had all the '04s and started cackling like a mad women. I opened the Fall issue and I really lost it as there was the shawl. Yeah hubby was ready to call the men in the white suits LOL.

Oh Franklin. I can't believe that over the holidays I missed seeing an entire sweater that you made! I couldn't figure out what the pocket lambie post was all about so scrolled back. My goodness, you've yet again outdone yourself. And yes, afterthought pockets are brilliant!

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